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ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program

Q: How much funding can be received?

ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program Funds up to $165,000 of admissible expenses.

Q: Who is eligible for the ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program program?

To be eligible for the ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program program, you must: Doctoral or postdoctoral trainees in ALS research at Canadian institutions Research supervised by academic investigator at qualifying Canadian institution ALS-related research proposed

Q: Who can I contact for more information about the ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program?

You can contact Brain Canada Foundation by email at research@als.ca.

Q: Where is the ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program available?

The ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program program is available the province of Ontario.

Q: Is the ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program a grant, loan, or tax credit?

ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program is a Researchers And Facilities

Last Update: March 19, 2026

Ontario, Canada

Funding for doctoral and postdoctoral ALS research trainees in Canada

Researchers And Facilities

Grant and Funding

Brain Canada Foundation

Processing And Agreement

Other info

Contact

Overview

The ALS Canada-Brain Canada Trainee Program supports promising doctoral and postdoctoral trainees in ALS research. A $315,000 funding pool is available, with Doctoral Awards at $25,000 per year for up to three years and Postdoctoral Fellowships at $55,000 per year for up to three years. Funds may only be used for stipend and salary support.

At a glance

Funding available

Financing goals

Research and experimental development

Conduct research

Eligible Funding

Maximum amount : 165,000 $

Timeline

Unspecified

Eligible candidates

Eligible Industries

Professional, scientific and technical services
Educational services
Health care and social assistance

Location

Ontario

Legal structures

Non-profit
Public or Parapublic institution

Annual revenue

All revenue ranges

Organisation size

All organization sizes

Audience

All groups

Non-profit candidates

Sector of operation

Higher Education
Research
Hospitals and Rehabilitation
Other Health Services

Target groups

Academia / students

Revenue structures

All structures

Scope

National

Activities funded

ALS-related research projects
Doctoral research under supervision of academic investigator
Postdoctoral research under supervision of academic investigator

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 75,000

Doctoral trainee maps astrocyte vesicle signals linked to ALS stress

$ 60,000

Postdoctoral trainee validates blood biomarkers to track ALS progression

Documents Needed

Completed cover page (fillable form)
Letter from the applicant (2 pages max)
Letter from proposed supervisor (2 pages max)
Scientific summary/abstract (half page)
Research plan/fellowship proposal (3 pages)
Figures and tables (optional, 1 page)
Research training environment description (1 page)
Percentage of time on other activities (half page)
Curriculum vitae of applicant
Curriculum vitae of proposed supervisor (4 pages max)
Additional letter of support (2 pages max)

Eligibility

Applicants must be enrolled in or within the first three years of a PhD program (Doctoral Scheme) or within the first two years of postdoctoral studies (Postdoctoral Scheme).
Research must be conducted under supervision of an investigator with an academic position at a qualifying Canadian institution.
Proposed research and training must be ALS-related.
Applicants must be able to start funding by December 31, 2026.
Non-Canadian applicants must demonstrate eligibility to work/study in Canada for the funding duration.

Who is eligible?

Graduate students in PhD programs (within first three years)
Postdoctoral researchers (within first two years)
Non-Canadian trainees working in Canadian labs

Who is not eligible

Researchers whose proposed research is not ALS-related
Applicants unable to start funding by December 31, 2026
Non-Canadians without work/study authorization for Canada

Eligible expenses

Stipend/salary support only

Ineligible Costs and Activities

Employee benefits paid by the host institution
Research equipment and materials
Travel expenses
Conference registration fees
Indirect costs or overhead charges

Eligible geographic areas

Canada - research must be conducted at qualifying Canadian institutions

Selection criteria

Merit and potential of the applicant
Quality and feasibility of proposed research
Strength of supervisory and research training environment
Relevance to advancing ALS research

How to apply

Review program details and download templates

Review the Terms of Reference PDF for complete program details and eligibility requirements
Download the Cover Page template from the ALS Canada website

Prepare cover page and supporting letters

Complete the Cover Page as a fillable Word document
Write a letter from the applicant (max 2 pages) explaining training background, research goals, and career objectives
Obtain a letter from the proposed supervisor (max 2 pages) describing the applicant's fit with the research program

Prepare research proposal and scientific documents

Write a scientific summary/abstract (max ½ page) describing hypothesis, rationale, specific aims, and significance
Prepare the research plan/fellowship proposal (max 3 pages) including rationale, specific aims, background, preliminary data, experimental plan, and bibliography
Include optional figures and tables (max 1 page)

Prepare CVs and training environment documents

Write research training environment description (max 1 page)
Provide percentage of time spent on other activities (max ½ page)
Prepare your curriculum vitae (no page limit) including education, training, positions, honors, publications, and presentations
Prepare supervisor's CV (max 4 pages) in NIH-style biosketch format

Compile and format complete application

Obtain one additional letter of support sent directly to research@als.ca
Compile all documents in the specified order as a single PDF file
Format documents using required fonts (Calibri-11, Arial-11, or Times Roman-12), single-spaced, with 0.5-inch margins

Submit application before deadline

Submit the complete application as a single PDF to research@als.ca by 1:00 pm ET on April 1, 2026
Request delivery and read receipts for your submission
Follow up with ALS Canada Research Team if you do not receive an acknowledgment email

Wait for award notification

Await notification of award in July 2026
Review anonymized reviewers' comments and feedback
Funding earliest start date is September 1, 2026, with funding available by December 31, 2026

Processing and Agreement

Applications reviewed by panel of experts including SMAC members and non-ALS researchers
Each application assigned two reviewers with preliminary scoring
Subset of applications discussed and live-scored by entire panel
Post-panel discussion between ALS Canada and Brain Canada Research Teams, CEOs, and Board member(s)
Recommendation to Board of Directors for funding decisions
Notification of award in July 2026
Anonymized reviewers' comments provided to all applicants

Additional information

Funding must begin by December 31, 2026.
Non-Canadian applicants must demonstrate eligibility to work/study in Canada.
Annual progress reports and institutional financial statements are required.
Funded researchers must acknowledge ALS Canada and Brain Canada in all publications and presentations.

Contacts

research@als.ca

Apply to this program

Frequently Asked Questions about the ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program Program

Here are answers to the most common questions about the ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.